Door and hinge arrangement



Sept. 24, 1968 M. H. KESSLER DOOR AND HINGE ARRANGEMENT Filed Sept. 23,1966 United States Patent 3,402,508 DOOR AND BEIGE ARRANGEMENT MichaelH. Kessler, Grove City, Ohio, assignor to Westinghouse ElectricCorporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Sept.23, 1966, Ser. No. 581,588 6 Claims. (Cl. 49386) ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE This invention relates to improvements in a door and hingearrangement and is particularly applicable to doors for smallcompartments such as are typically provided on the inner face of adomestic refrigerator door.

Such compartment doors are preferably biased toward a closed position toinsure both that the compartment is closed and that the door does notstrike articles stored in the main part of the refrigerator. It is alsodesirable that the compartment door present a pleasing appearancethrough a design accommodating hidden fastening means, that the parts ofthe door lend themselves to a reasonably easy and quick assembly, andthat the parts be of moderate cost.

The general object of this invention is the provision of a door andhinge arrangement which has the above characteristics.

The basic parts of a door and hinge arrangement according to theinvention include a door panel supported on a torsionally-resilientsingle wire serving as a hinge which biases the door toward a closedposition. Specifically, the wire is formed to include straight portionsseparated by at least three loop portions spaced along its length. Twoof the loop portions lie in a plane angularly displaced from the planein which the other loop portion lies, when the wire is in a torsionallyunstressed condition. The door panel is formed with an open split edgeand bore to receive and confine the straight portions of the wire, anddefine the axis about which the door is swung. Fastening means securetwo of the loop portions to the structure framing the compartmentopening to prevent the two loop portions from turning with the door. Thethird loop portion of the wire is held in the door in an angularlydisplaced position which torsionally strains the straight portions ofthe wire in a direction which urges the third loop portion in a doorclosing direction. Since the third loop portion is fixed relative to theplane of the door, the urging of the third loop portion in a doorclosing direction correspondingly results in the door itself being urgedin a closing direction.

To permit the door to be opened with the first two loop portions fixedto the compartment frame, the door is provided with rearwardly-opennotches which accommodate the two fixed position loops and allow thedoor to turn away from the two loops. To hold the third loop portion inthe door, a cavity with a closed rear face is provided in the door.

3,492,58 Patented Sept. 24, 1968 The relationship of the loop portionsand the accommodating structure of the door lends itself to a relativelysimple technique for fastening the two loop portions to the compartmentframe. Headed fasteners spaced apart to register with the two fixed loopportions of the wire are driven part way into the compartment frame andthe door is moved into a position in which the heads of the fasteningmeans hold the loop portions in place for further tightening of thefasteners While the door panel is swung out of the way to permit accessto the heads of the fasteners. To facilitate this assembly procedure, itis preferable that the loop portions carry clips having open end slotstherein to receive the shanks of the fasteners.

The invention will be described in somewhat more detail in connectionwith the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment by wayof example, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of the door in a closed position,with a part of the door panel broken away to expose one fasteninglocation for a loop portion;

FIG. 2 is an end elevation of the door in a closed position as shown infull lines, and with a broken line showing of the door opened;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the lower portion of a door atone of the notch locations for accommodating a loop portion of the wirehinge and showing the form of the lower split edge of the door beforethe hinge is assembled thereto;

FIG. 4 is an exploded, partly-broken, isometric view of the single wirehinge with one clip mounted on a loop, and another before mounting;

FIG. 5 is a vertical section view corresponding to one taken along theline V-V of FIG. 1 the hinge assembled to the door panel; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary isometric view showing how the door panel isswung out of the way to gain access to the fasteners which secure theloop portions to the compartment frame.

Referring to FIG. 1, the front opening of the compartment which the door10 is to close is framed by a border 12. The door illustrated is of theswing-down type in which it pivots about a horizontal axis close to itslower edge. It will be appreciated that the door could alternatively bearranged to pivot about a vertical axis.

In its currently preferred form the door panel 10 is an aluminum memberwhich may be extruded to provide longitudinally-extending protuberancesand channels such as the ledge-shaped handle 14 (FIG. 2) on the frontface, a gasket slot 16 along its upper rear face, a somewhat thickenedlower portion 18 having a split or bifurcated bottom edge (FIG. 3) withthe leg 20 initially projecting rearwardly. A straight,longitudinally-extending bore 22, in which the straight portions of thewire hinge is ultimately journaled is defined at the junction of thesplit legs.

The shape of the notches 24, which may be milled out of the back face ofthe panel 10 to accommodate the loop portions of the wire hinge, mayalso be obersed from FIGS. 1 and 3. A single semicircular cavity orrecess 26 is also milled up into the plane of the door panel 10 whilethe legs at the bottom edge are spread. This cavity 26 is open only atthe bottoms.

Referring to FIG. 4, the hinge component is formed of a single wire oftorsionally-resilient character which is bent to include opposite-endstraight portions 28 and 30, a pair of loop portions 32 and 34 which mayconveniently be generally rectangular with right angle corners and,

finally, two straight central portions 36, 38 separated by a centralloop portion 40 of V-shape. The pair of loop portions 32 and 34 areshown in FIG. 4 as lying in a vertical plane while the other or thirdloop portion 40 lies in another plane which is rotated about 45 (asindicated) from the vertical about an axis coincident with the axis ofthe straight portions of the wire. This angle is stated simply by way ofexample since the proper displacement is that which, for a given wire,proves the proper biasing force when the third loop portion 44) isangularly displaced back toward the plane in which the pair of loopportions 32 and 34 lie. With a steel wire of about inch in diameter, Ihave obtained satisfactory results by forming the wire so that the loopportion 40 is displaced about 45 from the plane of the pair of loops 32and 34 with the wire in a formed but torsionally unstressed condition.

To facilitate mounting of the door to the compartment frame or border12, a mounting clip 42 (FIG. 4) is secured on each of the end loopportions 32 and 34. Each mounting clip 42 is made from a single metalpiece which is stamped and formed so that it may be slipped down ontothe loop as indicated at the left-end of FIG. 4, and the opposite halvesthen be clamped together. In this way sleeves 44 are formed along eachof three edges of the clip and encircle respective lengths of the loopportion to hold the clip to the loop. A central slot 46 which is open atits bottom end is generally centered in the loop. The central portion ofthe clip lies at an angle relative to the sleeves to provide clearancefor the bottom edge of the door panel when the door is opened, and togive space for a fastener head.

After each of the mounting clips 42 has been mounted on its respectiveloop portion adjacent the ends of the wire, the wire and clip assemblyis assembled to the door panel 10. This is accomplished by first forcingthe central V loop 40 up into the semicircular cavity 26, and thenturning and pushing the two loop portions 32 and 34 with their clips upinto their respective notches. This turning twists the central straightportions 36 and 38 which fit freely in the longitudinally-extending bore22. The bottom split edge is then closed upon the straight portions ofthe wire by clamping it shut with the metal taking a permanent set. Thiscompletes the subassembly of the door, and wire and mounting clipassembly.

The way of fastening the door and hinge assembly to the compartmentstructure will be described in connection with FIG. 6. A pair of headedfasteners such as selftapping screws 48 are turned part way into thecompartment structure bordering the open mouth of the compartment at thebottom. The door assembly is then slipped down into place with the openended slots 46 of the mounting clips 42 receiving the shanks of thefasteners 48. The fastener heads hold the clips in place while the doorpanel is swung downwardly to an out-of-the-way position as shown in FIG.6 to give access to the fastener head with a screwdriver 50. Thefastener 48 is then tightened so that the mounting clip 42 is rigidlysecured to the compartment framing structure. The door may then bereleased to automatically assume its closed position under the force ofthe torsionally strained straight portions 36 and 38 of the wire. Theend straight portions 28 and of the wire also turn freely in the bore 22so that it may be said that in a sense these end straight portions serveas the hinge pins of the door, while the central straight portions 36and 38 both give support and supply the biasing force which closes thedoor.

It should be appreciated from the foregoing that with an arrangementaccording to the invention the hinge is entirely hidden when the door isclosed. Further the parts of the arrangement are of simple character andmoderate cost, and the assembly may be accomplished simply and easily.The load imposed upon each of the mounting screws 48 when the door ismoved to an open position 4 is equalized by locating the biasing loopportion 40 equadistant between the end loop portions. In some cases itmay be desirable for economy, for example, to form the end loop portions32 and 34 in a configuration permitting them to engage the fastener 43directly and without the aid of the mounting clip 42. However it seemspreferable at this time to provide the separate mounting clip which mayreadily be formed so that as best shown in FIG. 5 a space to accommodatethe fastener head is provided between the central portion of themounting clip and the opposite rear face of the milled notch section 24of the door panel 10.

To insure an understanding of how the torsional forces set up in thewire act to accomplish the closing of the door, a brief explanation maybe in order. Viewing the door from the front as in FIG. 1, the end loopportions 32 and 34 are fixed by the clips in a substantially verticalplane. If the center loop 40 were not retained within its door cavity 26the natural condition of the wire would result in this loop 40projecting upwardly and rearwardly. However, the rear face of the cavityholds the loop 40 forwardly and this imposed the torsional strain uponthe central straight portions 36 and 38 of the wire. Since the end loopsare fixed, the loop 49 exerts a rearwardlydirected turning force uponthe door panel.

When the door is pulled forwardly to an open position, the back side ofthe cavity 26 forces the center loop portion 40 to turn through the sameangle as the door. Since this increases the strain (within elasticlimits) upon the central straight portions 36 and 38, the loop 40 exertsa correspondingly greater door closing force upon the door.

I claim as my invention:

1. A door and torsion hinge arrangement, comprising:

a single-wire of torsionally resilient character having straight alignedportions interrupted by at least three loop portions along its length,two of said loop portions lying in a plane angularly displaced from theplane in which said other loop portion lies in a torsionally unstressedcondition of said wire;

a one piece, solid panel door including a split longitudinal edge forreceiving said straight portions of said wire;

means for rigidly fastening said two loop portions against angulardisplacement with said door during swinging movement, said fasteningmeans providing the sole support and hinge connection for said door;

said door including means holding said other loop portion in a positionsufliciently angularly displaced from its normal torsionally unstressedposition that said other loop portion exerts a door closing force uponsaid door.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1 wherein:

said door includes forwardly-closed rearwardly-open notchesaccommodating said two loop ortions, and further includes a cavity lyinggenerally in the plane of said door, said cavity including a closed rearface against which said other loop portion bears to urge said door in adoor closing direction.

3. An arrangement according to claim 2 wherein:

said two loop portions are located adjacent the ends of said door, andsaid other loop portion is substantially centered therebetween, with asubstantial length of said straight portion of said wire being providedbetween each of said two loop portions and said other loop portion.

4. An arrangement according to claim 3 wherein:

said door includes a longitudinally-extending bore at the apex of saidsplit edge for receiving said straight portions in freely rotatablerelation therein.

5. An arrangement according to claim 2 wherein:

said two loop portions ea'ch includes a mounting clip secured thereto,each clip including a slot which has an open end to permit said clip tobe moved into straddling engagement with outwardly-projecting fastenin'gmeans for effecting said rigid fastening of said Referen Ci two loopportions.

6. An arrangement according to claim 1 wherein: UNITED STATES PATENTSsaid door comprises an extruded aluminum panel in 2502957 7/ 1952'Anderson 49386 XR which said split edge is formed in a substantiallyopen 5 2,670,872 3/1954 Olesky 16.192 XR split to facilitate theassembly of said wire to said 2,707,803 5/ 95 Anderson et a1 49-386panel, and is adapted to be subsequently clamped to- 2,733,483 2/1956 Aderson 49386 ward a closed position of said split edge to secure saidwire to said door panel, KENNETH DOWNEY, Primary Examiner.

